Spring Lake Project plans to install stepping stones over the creek below the Spring Lake Falls area in summer, but first will plant hundreds of trees and native plants donated by a nonprofit organization.

Habitat restoration will resume for the year at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at which time volunteers will plant 350 pignut hickory, shagbark hickory, white oak and other trees donated last month by the Jimmy F. New Foundation, of Walerton, Ind. At least two employees of the foundation will assist in planting the trees, Spring Lake Project volunteer Lois Guyon said.

"An out-of-state company is sending employees to help us plant these trees. That shows they value what we're doing," Guyon said. "I think that's a real testament to that piece of land."

Spring Lake Project volunteers have spent the past year cleaning and enhancing the 37.8-acre Spring Lake property by cutting back brush off the trails, making signs to mark trails, cleaning and disposing of trash, building a wooden bridge and patrolling the area.

The results include more visitors and the shedding of a no-longer-deserved reputation as a place where ne'er-do-wells went to drink and cause trouble.

"I have been surprised to see how many people have used the park all winter long, and now that the weather is warmer, the people are fishing and enjoying watching the spring vegetation emerge," Guyon said.

Part of the organization's success comes as the result of its host program, which is always seeking more volunteers. The host program schedules volunteers for two hours a week to be at the park to give directions and generally keep an eye on what is going on in the park. Hosts are welcome to spend their two hours walking the trails, working on trail-trimming or another project, watching wildlife, reading a book or just sitting in the sun.

After the trees and native grasses are planted, Spring Lake Project will focus on placing stepping stones over the creek below the falls area to allow easier access to the second quadrant of the park. Barrels filled with concrete will be placed in the stream bed to provide a way for hikers to cross the creek without getting the bottom half of their legs wet.

Another project the group hopes to tackle this year is construction of benches to be placed throughout the park, Guyon said.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the host program, tree planting, trail maintenance or bench construction may do so by calling Guyon at 815-343-3774. For a list of items needed for the projects, go to www.springlakefalls.org.